Regular Show

[tweet]https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/1232284019016032257[/tweet] Nico Hoerner didn't make this list either lol. I'm a big fan of Noah Song as well, but his unique situation makes his pitching development kinda murky. He has a special arm and I wish the Cubs drafted him.

Only 2 Cubs... Davis at 55 and Marquez at 80 [tweet]https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/1232086337441890304[/tweet] Yeah, I'm studying the list and I disagree with a good amount of it. I don't normally have too many problems with his list, but this year seems different: ⚫ Adley Rutschman is way too low (#10) and he has a strong case to be the #1 prospect in MLB. He has an MVP-caliber upside with a stronger chance to reach it than most players with that high a ceiling. ⚫ Casey Mize is a weird case. If he's fully healthy and throwing the ball with no problems then he's too low on the list. If he's injured or not throwing at 100% then he should probably be lower. ⚫ I think Jesus Luzardo should be higher. I really like him and think he'll develop into an ace. ⚫ Keith Law is definitely the high guy on Corbin Carroll lol. We'll see about that ranking... ⚫ I like what he wrote about Alec Bohm and I agree with that assessment. ⚫ Joey Bart is too high on the list. ⚫ Brennen Davis is too high on his list. I'm still skeptical about the hit tool, but the swing is better now. ⚫ Marco Luciano is too low and he'll finish very high on Top 100 lists at the end of this upcoming season. ⚫ Brailyn Marquez is too low on his list and I'm very high on him. I think he takes a big step forward this year. ⚫ Obviously, I'm very happy with his writeup on Braden Shewmake and agree with his take: I'm not sure if I'd rather have Shewmake over Hoerner or have him ranked higher though? I don't know about that and I guess how much power (game power) they develop will be the key difference. I think Shewmake is better defensively at SS and is capable of making more throws/plays. Honestly, I'm growing more intrigued with just shifting Hoerner to CF and letting him play there the majority of the time. Hoerner is definitely more versatile. I believe most teams would have Hoerner ranked higher than Shewmake, but it's probably pretty close now.

I know very little about Vernon Carey, but watching his highlights he seems pretty solid with a decent shot for a big man. I'm surprised by how low he is going in various mock drafts and predict he'll rise as we get closer to the draft. His weight/conditioning and overall defense is a concern. He is listed as a C, but I think he could play PF as well? A little similar to Wendell Carter, but Carter has better defensive instincts and a better motor. The Bulls (under GarPax) love Duke players so they might invite him for some private workouts. I think if you can just get a solid rotation player out of this draft then you've done a good/great job because there are going to be a TON of busts from this draft class...

[tweet] [/tweet]I started watching video of 2020 NBA draft prospects because the Bulls suck and they're gonna get another high draft pick and this perpetual rebuild has no end in sight (sigh)... I heard and read good things about Tyrese Haliburton, but my God is he a weird unorthodox player. Kinda reminds me of a guard from the 90's with a really funky shot that is very effective. Advanced analytics loves the guy, but scouts not so much it seems. He's not super athletic and doesn't have a high ceiling, but this draft class blows so who cares? It's so depressing trying to find a good draft prospect with some upside right now. Mock draft (with sim lottery) for people curious: http://www.tankathon.com/mock_draft

[tweet] [/tweet]That is... not suppose to happen lol.

From the latest Klaw chat:

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[tweet] [/tweet][tweet] [/tweet][tweet] [/tweet]That's messed up lol.

[tweet] [/tweet]lol

That's fantastic lol

[tweet]https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/1227995080633593856[/tweet] [tweet] [/tweet]Tony Kemp still sucks, but I like him a little more now.

[tweet] [/tweet]Edgertronic cameras are very cool and also very expensive. Maybe they've dropped in price the last few years (I'm sure the Cubs can afford it).

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Well, you're wrong again. If you knew people inside the game, you would know Preller has a bad reputation and many GMs and President of Baseball Ops with other teams were pissed and reluctant to do trades with him. Preller almost got fired over that latest scandal. Yeah, the team didn't get penalized that heavily, but people inside the game were very angry. Teams are very careful now when dealing with the Padres.

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[tweet] [/tweet] The Cubs are also in his offseason losers column. I predict the Rockies will be bad again and they're going to shop Arenado hard before the trade deadline. This upcoming season's trade deadline could be one of the crazier ones in MLB history...

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[tweet] [/tweet]That's pretty good lol

Why is it that teams and players try to knock out extensions around this time? D'backs and Ahmed, and I think there was another one recently. Cubs and Bote happened around this time last year. It would've made the offseason a lot better if they got this Baez extension done sooner... Extensions almost always happen after the team has their roster for the year set, so they don’t cost themselves flexibility they would need if plans had to change. That makes sense, but we know they've been working on this a while. Extensions don't generally just get knocked out in a couple weeks or in a relatively quick manner (Bote one being an exception). Cubs have been trying to do some of these extensions for years now... Just seems like there is more expediency around this time in MLB for some weird reason.

Why is it that teams and players try to knock out extensions around this time? D'backs and Ahmed, and I think there was another one recently. Cubs and Bote happened around this time last year. It would've made the offseason a lot better if they got this Baez extension done sooner...

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[tweet] [/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/1226691605408747520[/tweet] That last part is interesting from Keith Law. The complexity of this deal was a little unique I guess? Three-way trades aren't that common, but I honestly think Boston balked on the initial return after seeing the bad public reaction and used the Graterol medical worries to leverage a better return. The Dodgers seem fine with the medicals and we'll see what happens (Graterol could end up becoming a very good closer for them). I do believe trades are becoming harder because teams are clinging to prospects more than ever, and modern FOs worry so damn much about making a bad trade. Sure, I'd be reluctant to part with the top prospects in my system, but not when it comes to acquiring Mookie Betts or a superstar talent like that. I wish the Cubs had a better farm system and cleaner books so we could've pulled this off (assuming we were serious about re-signing Betts, of course).

I think I like this deal a little more than the previous deal. We have to see how good the 3rd piece is before we judge it. I think both Verdugo and Downs can be solid players for the Red Sox. Probably not superstar talents, but Verdugo was on pace for a 4-5 WAR season before he got hurt I believe. Graterol could be a good high-leverage reliever, but I have zero confidence he could hold up as a starter. You don't accrue a ton of WAR as a reliever, but they do have a ton of value in the playoffs and at the trade deadline. I think I'd rather have Downs over Graterol, but it's close.

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